Cubitek ATX-ICE Case Review

Introduction:

It is yet another new company for me to shine opinions on. Cubitek – a company founded in the late half of 2010, by some IT industry techs in Taiwan, attempting to add a third dimension to a boring two dimensional view on current computer products. Cubitek is focusing on this “third dimension” of PC cases. It isn’t a company I am familiar with, but its philosophy is something well appreciated if it can be held up: “Build something we would want to buy at a price we want to pay.”

Today we will be taking a look at the Cubitek ATX ICE. This case comes from the ICE series, which is a part of a new generation of aluminum chassis – at least that is what Cubitek thinks. It is said to be made with advanced aluminum extrusion and digital bending technology. It is supposed to be solidly built, dissipate heat faster than steel cases, more quiet, and neater looking. I guess it is time for me to be the judge of all this, so let’s see what Cubitek really has to bring to the table.

Closer Look:

I wasn’t really sure what showed up on the door step when I got home from work. It was an all black box with a lot of yellow tape on it (if you haven’t figured out why the yellow tape, I will show you in the next set of pictures). The box has a Cubitek logo printed in the top left corner and some arctic mountains in the center of the box. The back of the box finally gave way to what it was, if the size hadn’t already, it is indeed a case. It appears to be made of all aluminum (at this point I didn’t know what I’ve already told you above, but the box was not heavy at all) and it’s looking pretty nifty from the few pictures here on the back. I like that there is no text, as it keeps you wondering and wanting to open it even sooner.

The sides of the box don’t have much on them. One side has a shipping slip for me and the other, some specifications listed in five different languages. The box really leaves this one open, as to what is inside, especially with all the tape (not that this is Cubitek’s fault). But the simplistic box, which I absolutely love, leaves enough curiosity to open it up with decent surprise remaining.

So here is your answer to the yellow tape and it wasn’t because Cubitek thought it looked pretty to pack the box this way. Me, being in the US, and Cubitek, shipping from Japan, means a nice trip through the friendly people at the US Customs Office. Nice is probably not the best way of describing it, as this box was clearly torn from end to end to find out what may lie inside. I guess they were just as curious as I am. It was at least all taped back up, well enough to get here and honestly that’s probably more tape than most packages you will get.

I opened it up a little worried as to what I might find having been tossed around Customs, but it didn’t look too horrible at first glance. Whoever inspected it up put a bunch of cardboard back in, I guess to make up for opening it in the first place. I thought it was a bit odd how the flaps of the box were cut to accommodate the extra height, but I guess what is important, is the fact the case got here in one piece.

Pulling the case out of the box was a little bit difficult, as it has quite different packaging than I, or most of you are likely accustomed to. Rather than beefy foam end caps, as I’ve always called them, we’ve got eight little foam corner caps. You can’t quite see it in this shot, but two of the caps on the other side did not survive, although I’m hoping they protected the case in their deaths. Let’s get the bag off and see what we have.